To residents of the state and regular visitors, Idaho is regarded as a highly outdoors-oriented community. Central Idaho is home to one of North America's oldest ski resorts, Sun Valley, where the world's first chairlift was installed. Snow sports are keystones of Idaho's identity, with a ski resort near almost every urban area. Whitewater rafting and kayaking are among the state's major pastimes. Hell's Canyon and the Salmon River boast some of North America's finest whitewater, with the nearby town of Riggins, ID serving as the state's informal whitewater capital. According to the US Census Bureau, in 2009 the population for Idaho was estimated to be 1,545,801.[1] The state's postal abbreviation is ID. Idaho's nickname is the Gem State because nearly every known gem has been found there.[3] In addition, Idaho is one of only two places in the world where star garnets can be found (the other is the Himalaya Mountains, in India), and is the only place six pointed star garnets have been found. The state motto is Esto Perpetua (Latin for "Let it be forever").

Idaho borders six states and one Canadian province. The states of Washington and Oregon are to the west, Nevada and Utah are to the south, and Montana and Wyoming are to the east. Idaho also shares a short border with the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north. .The landscape is rugged with some of the largest unspoiled natural areas in the United States.^These can be important facts when searching for ancestors in this area of the United States.

For example, at 2.3 million acres (9,300 km²), the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Area is the largest contiguous area of protected wilderness in the continental United States. Idaho is a Rocky Mountain state with abundant natural resources and scenic areas. The state has snow-capped mountain ranges, rapids, vast lakes and steep canyons. The waters of Snake River rush through Hells Canyon, the deepest canyon in the United States.

Climate

Idaho has much variation in its climate. Although the state's western border is located about 350 miles (560 km) from the Pacific Ocean, the maritime influence is still felt in Idaho, especially in the winter when cloud cover, humidity, and precipitation are at their highest points. This influence has a moderating effect in the winter where temperatures are not as low as would otherwise be expected for a northern state with a mostly elevated altitude.[9] The maritime influence is lowest in the southeastern part of the state where the precipitation patterns are often reversed, with wetter summers and drier winters, and seasonal temperature differences more extreme, showing a more continental climate.

Climate in Idaho can be hot, although extended periods over 100 °F (38 °C) for the maximum temperature are rare, except for the lowest point in elevation, Lewiston, which correspondingly sees very little snow. Hot summer days are tempered by the low relative humidity and cooler evenings during summer months since, for most of the state, the highest diurnal difference in temperature is often in the summer. Winters can be cold, although extended periods of bitter cold weather below zero are unusual. This is what led the railroad tycoon Harriman family to develop the most famous ski resort, Sun Valley.

.Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various Idaho Cities.^Utilities and a few wood products stocks of interest to Idaho investors also are trading closer to their highs than their lows.

Idaho, as part of the Oregon Country, was claimed by both the United States and Great Britain until the United States gained undisputed jurisdiction in 1846. From 1843 to 1849 present-day Idaho was under the de facto jurisdiction of the Provisional Government of Oregon. When Oregon became a state, what is now Idaho was in what was left of the original Oregon Territory not part of the new state, and designated as the Washington Territory.

Between then and the creation of the Idaho Territory on July 4, 1863 at Lewiston, parts of the present-day state were included in the Oregon, Washington, and Dakota Territories. The new territory included present-day Idaho and Montana and most of Wyoming. The Lewis and Clark expedition crossed Idaho in 1805 on the way to the Pacific and in 1806 on the return, largely following the Clearwater River both directions. The first non-indigenous settlement was Kullyspell House, established on the shore of Lake Pend Oreille for fur trading in 1809 by David Thompson of the North West Company.[10][11] In 1812 Donald Mackenzie, working for the Pacific Fur Company at the time, established a post on the lower Clearwater River near present-day Lewiston. This post, known as "MacKenzie's Post" or "Clearwater", operated until the Pacific Fur Company was bought out by the North West Company in 1813, after which it was abandoned.[12][13] The first attempts at organized communities, within the present borders of Idaho, were established in 1860.[14][15] The first permanent, substantial incorporated community was Lewiston in 1861.

After some tribulation as a territory, including the illegal and chaotic transfer of the territorial capital from Lewiston in December 1864 to Boise in January 1865, disenfranchisement of Mormonpolygamists upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1877,[16] and a federal attempt to split the territory between Washington Territory which gained statehood in 1889, a year before Idaho, and the state of Nevada which had been a state since 1863, Idaho achieved statehood in 1890. The economy of the state, which had been primarily supported by metal mining, shifted towards agriculture, forest products and tourism.

.In recent years, Idaho has expanded its commercial base as a tourism and agricultural state to include science and technology industries.^Top Technology Business Assistance: Idaho Department of Commerce, Commercial Innovation Division - http://commerce.idaho.gov/technology .

.Science and technology have become the largest single economic center (over 25% of the state's total revenue) within the state and are greater than agriculture, forestry and mining combined.^Technology and Entrepreneurial Center, Boise State University - http://www.bsutecenter.com .

Origin of name

Lake Coeur d'Alene in North Idaho.

Idaho was possibly named as the result of a hoax (the so-called "Idahoax") although this is disputed. The exact origin of the name remains a mystery.[18] In the early 1860s, when the United States Congress was considering organizing a new territory in the Rocky Mountains, eccentric lobbyist George M. Willing suggested the name "Idaho," which he claimed was derived from a Shoshone language term meaning "the sun comes from the mountains" or "gem of the mountains." Willing later claimed that he had made up the name himself.[19][20] Congress ultimately decided to name the area Colorado Territory when it was created in February 1861. Thinking they would get a jump on the name, locals named a community in Colorado "Idaho Springs".

However, the name "Idaho" did not go away. The same year Congress created Colorado Territory, a county called Idaho County was created in eastern Washington Territory. The county was named after a steamship named Idaho, which was launched on the Columbia River in 1860. It is unclear whether the steamship was named before or after Willing's claim was revealed. Regardless, a portion of Washington Territory, including Idaho County, was used to create Idaho Territory in 1863.

Despite this lack of evidence for the origin of the name, many textbooks well into the 20th century repeated as fact Willing's account that the name "Idaho" derived from the Shoshone term "ee-da-how".

"Idaho" is a Shoshoni Indian exclamation. The word consists of three parts. The first is "Ee", which in English conveys the idea of "coming down". The second is "dah" which is the Shoshoni stem or root for both "sun" and "mountain". The third syllable, "how", denotes the exclamation and stands for the same thing in Shoshoni that the exclamation mark (!) does in the English language. The Shoshoni word is "Ee-dah-how", and the Indian thought thus conveyed when translated into English means, "Behold! the sun coming down the mountain".[22]

Chief Joseph Seltice, of the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Nation, posits another possible origin of the name. In his history of the tribe, Saga of the Coeur d'Alene Indians, he writes:

Some sources claim that the name "Idaho" comes from an Indian word, "Ee-dah-how," meaning "Gem of the Mountains." This expression may have come from some other Tribe, and it would have a different meaning for them than it would for the Coeur d'Alenes.
As the Coeur d'Alenes understood the word "Idaho," it would be more correctly pronounced "Ah-d'Hoo." It means "greetings by surprise," indicating friendship, but surprise.
The first syllable conveys to the mind, "All are welcome, from wherever you come; but keep the friendly peace. We welcome you with out-stretched arms, and this entitles us to permanent friendship."
The last syllable is a surprise and exclamation point. The expression means that all are welcome, "though we are surprised to see so many different strangers. The first dawn of day welcomes you as the sun rises." This expression was used by many of the Coeur d'Alenes on the Bitterroot Mountains to greet all who come.
So to all who read these words: "Welcome, with open arms! We're just surprised that there are so many of you!"

As of 2005, Idaho has an estimated population of 1,429,096, which is an increase of 33,956, or 2.4%, from the prior year and an increase of 135,140, or 10.4%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 58,884 people (that is 111,131 births minus 52,247 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 75,795 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 14,522 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 61,273 people.

This made Idaho the sixth fastest-growing state after Arizona, Nevada, Florida, Georgia, and Utah. .From 2004 to 2005, Idaho grew the third-fastest, surpassed only by Nevada and Arizona.^All on one Marriage CD! Arizona, California, Idaho, and Nevada, 1850-1951 Marriage Index .

Nampa, the state's second largest city, has experienced particularly strong growth in recent years. According to census estimates Nampa has grown 22.1% to nearly 65,000 residents between 2000 and 2003. As of 2007, the population in Nampa was estimated at 84,000. Growth of 5% or more over the same period has also been observed in Caldwell, Coeur d'Alene, Meridian, Post Falls and Twin Falls.[6]

.Since 1990, Idaho's population has increased by 386,000 (38%).^There are 94 physicians per 100,000 population in Idaho, ID. The US average is 170.

Economy

Gross state product for 2004 was US$43.6 billion. The per capita income for 2004 was US$26,881. Idaho is an important agricultural state, producing nearly one-third of the potatoes grown in the United States. All three varieties of wheat, Dark Northern Spring, Hard Red and Soft White are grown in the state. Nez Perce County is considered a premier Soft White growing locale.

Important industries in Idaho are food processing, lumber and wood products, machinery, chemical products, paper products, electronics manufacturing, silver and other mining, and tourism. The world's largest factory for barrel cheese, the raw product for processed cheese is located in Gooding, Idaho. It has a capacity of 120,000 metric tons per year of barrel cheese and belongs to the Glanbia group.[25] The Idaho National Laboratory (INL), a government lab for nuclear energy research, is also an important part of the eastern Idaho economy. Idaho also is home to three facilities of Anheuser-Busch which provide a large part of the malt for breweries located across the nation.

Locally, a variety of industries are important. Outdoor recreation is a common example ranging from numerous snowmobile and downhill and cross-country ski areas in winter to the evolution of a Lewiston as a retirement community based on mild winters, dry year around climate and one of the lowest median wind velocities anywhere, combined with the rivers for a wide variety of activities. Other examples would be ATK Corporation operates three ammunition and ammunition components plants in Lewiston. Two are sporting and one is defense contract. The Lewis-Clark Valley has an additional independent ammunition components manufacturer and the Chipmunk rifle factory. Four of the world's six welded aluminum jet boat (for running river rapids) manufacturers are in the Lewiston-Clarkston, WA valley. Wine grapes were grown between Kendrick and Julietta in the Idaho Panhandle by the French Rothchilds until Prohibition. In keeping with this, while there are no large wineries or breweries in Idaho, there are numerous and growing numbers of award winning boutique wineries and microbreweries in the northern part of the state.

Today, the largest industry in Idaho is the science and technology sector. It accounts for over 25% of the State's total revenue and 70%+ of the State's exports (in dollars). Idaho's industrial economy is growing, with high-tech products leading the way. Since the late 1970s, Boise has emerged as a center for semiconductor manufacturing. Boise is the home of Micron Technology Inc., the only U.S. manufacturer of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips. Micron at one time manufactured desktop computers, but with very limited success. Hewlett-Packard has operated a large plant in Boise since the 1970s, which is devoted primarily to LaserJet printers production.[8]Dell, Inc. operates a major customer support call center in Twin Falls. ON Semiconductor, whose worldwide headquarter locates in Pocatello, is a widely recognized innovator in modern integrated mixed-signal semiconductor products, mixed-signal foundry services, and structured digital products. Coldwater Creek, a women's clothing retailer, is headquartered in Sandpoint. Fortune 500 Sun Microsystems has two offices in Boise and a parts depot in Pocatello. Sun brings $4M in annual salaries and over $300M of revenue to the state each year.

A number of Fortune 500 companies started in or trace their roots to Idaho, including JC Penney (as The Golden Rule) in Twin Falls, Safeways in American Falls, Albertsons in Boise, JR Simplot across southern Idaho, Potlatch Corp. in Lewiston and Zimmerly Air Transport in Lewiston-Clarkston was one of the five companies in the merger centered around Varney Flying Service of Pasco, Washington, which became United Air Lines and subsequently Varney Air Group that became Continental Airlines.

The state personal income tax ranges from 1.6% to 7.8% in eight income brackets. Idahoans may apply for state tax credits for taxes paid to other states, as well as for donations to Idaho state educational entities and some nonprofit youth and rehabilitation facilities.

The state sales tax is 6% with a very limited, selective local option up to 6.5%. Sales tax applies to the sale, rental or lease of tangible personal property and some services. Food is taxed, but prescription drugs are not. Hotel, motel, and campground accommodations are taxed at a higher rate (7% to 11%). Some jurisdictions impose local option sales tax.

Energy

Electricity Generation in Idaho

The energy landscape of Idaho is favorable to the development of renewable energy systems. The state is rich in renewable energy resources but has limited fossil fuel resources. The Snake River Plain and smaller river basins provide Idaho with some of the best hydroelectric power resources in the nation and its geologically active mountain areas have significant geothermal power and wind power potential. These realities have shaped much of the state’s current energy landscape.

The state’s numerous river basins allow hydroelectric power plants to provide 556 thousand MWh, which amounts to about three-fourths of Idaho’s electricity output. Washington State provides most of the natural gas used in Idaho through one of the two major pipeline systems supplying the state. Although the state relies on out-of-state sources for its entire natural gas supply, it uses natural gas-fired plants to generate 127 thousand MWh, or about ten percent of its output. Coal-fired generation and the state’s small array of wind turbines supplies the remainder of the state’s electricity output. The state produces 739 thousand MWh but still needs to import half of its electricity from out-of-state to meet demand.[27]

While Idaho’s 515 trillion Btu total energy consumption is relatively low compared to other states and represents just 0.5% of United States consumption, the state also has the nation’s 11th smallest population, 1.5 million, so its per capita energy consumption of 352 million Btu is currently just above the national average of 333 million Btu.[27] As the 13th largest state in land area, distance creates the additional problem of "line loss". When the length of an electrical transmission line is doubled, the resistance to an electric current passing through it is also doubled.

In addition, Idaho also has the 6th fastest growing population in the United States with the population expected to increase by 31% from 2008 to 2030.[28] This projected increase in population will contribute to a 42% increase in demand by 2030, further straining Idaho’s finite hydroelectric resources.[29] Given that Idaho has no crude oil reserves and a limited supply of natural gas, the state’s most realistic method of meeting this projected increase in demand is to develop its ample renewable resources or nuclear.[citation needed]

Transportation

Idaho is among the few states in the nation without a major freeway linking the two largest metropolitan areas of Boise in the south and Coeur d'Alene in the north. US-95 links the two ends of the state, but like many other highways in Idaho, it is badly in need of repair and upgrade. In 2007, the Idaho Transportation Department stated that the state's highway infrastructure faces a $200 million per year shortfall in maintenance and upgrades. Interstate 84 is the main highway linking the Southeast and Southwest portions of the state, along with Interstate 86 and Interstate 15.

Ports

The Port of Lewiston is the farthest inland Pacific port on the west coast. A series of dams and locks on the Snake River and Columbia River facilitate barge travel from here to Portland, where goods are loaded on ocean-going vessels.

Law and government

State capitol in Boise

State Constitution

The Constitution of Idaho is roughly modeled on the national constitution with several additions. The constitution defines the form and function of the state government, and may be amended through plebiscite. Notably, the state constitution presently requires the state government to maintain a balanced budget. As result, Idaho has limited debt (construction bonds, etc).

Idaho Code

All of Idaho's state laws are contained in the Idaho Code. The code is amended through the Legislature with the approval of the Governor.

State government

The constitution of Idaho provides for three branches of government: the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Idaho has a bicameral legislature, elected from 35 legislative districts, each represented by one senator and two representatives. Idaho still operates under its original (1889) state constitution.

Since 1946, statewide elected constitutional officers have been elected to four-year terms. They include: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Controller (Auditor before 1994), Treasurer, Attorney General, and Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Last contested in 1966, Inspector of Mines was an original elected constitutional office. Afterward it was an appointed position and ultimately done away with entirely in 1974.

Executive Branch

The governor of Idaho serves a four-year term, and is elected during what is nationally referred to as midterm elections. As such, the governor is not elected in the same election year as the president of the United States. The current governor is RepublicanC. L. "Butch" Otter, who was elected in 2006.

Legislative Branch

Idaho's legislature is part-time. However, the session may be extended if necessary, and often is. Because of this, Idaho's legislators are considered "citizen legislators", meaning that their position as a legislator is not their main occupation.

The Idaho Legislature has been continuously controlled by the Republican Party since the late 1950s, although Democratic legislators are routinely elected from Boise, Pocatello, Blaine County and the northern Panhandle.

Counties

Idaho is divided into political jurisdictions designated as counties. As of 1919 there were 44 counties in the state, ranging in size from 410 to 8,502 square miles (1,062 to 22,020 square kilometers).

Total Counties: 44. Total 2008 Population Est.: 1,523,816. Total Area: 87,530 square miles.

Three counties were first designated as such by the Washington Territorial Legislature in 1861[31]; they were subsequently re-designated as Idaho counties in 1864. The 1861 Nez Perce county has since been broken up into Nez Perce, Lewis, Boundary, Benewah, Latah, Kootenai and Clearwater counties.

Idaho license plates begin with a county designation based on the first letter of the county's name. Where a letter is at the beginning of more than one name, the a number accompanies precedingly in alphabetical order. This reflects an anomalous coicidental situation wherein 10 counties begin with B, seven with C and four with L, which is 21 of the 44 counties.

After the Civil War, many Midwestern and Southern Democrats moved to Idaho Territory. As a result, the early territorial legislatures were solidly Democrat-controlled. In contrast, most of the territorial governors were appointed by Republican Presidents and were Republicans themselves. This led to sometimes bitter clashes between the two parties, including a range war with the Democrats backing the sheep herders and the Republicans the cattlemen. That ended with the "Diamondfield" Jack Davis murder trial. In the 1880s, Republicans became more prominent in local politics.

Since statehood, the Republican Party has usually been the dominant party in Idaho, as there was a polar shift in social and political stance between the two parties, when the Democrats became more liberal and the Republicans more conservative. At one time, Idaho had two Democratic parties, one being the mainstream and the other called the Anti-Mormon Democrats, lasting into the early 20th century. In the 1890s and early 1900s, the Populist Party enjoyed prominence while the Democratic Party maintained a brief dominance in the 1930s during the Great Depression. Since World War II, most statewide elected officials have been Republicans. The last time the Democratic Party held a majority in either house of the state legislature was the House of Representatives in 1958 by one seat.

Idaho Congressional delegations have also been generally Republican since statehood. Several Idaho Democrats have had electoral success in the House over the years, but the Senate delegation has been a Republican stronghold for decades. Several Idaho Republicans, including current Senator Mike Crapo, have won reelection to the Senate, but only Frank Church has won reelection as a Democrat. Church was the last Idaho Democrat to win a U.S. Senate race, in 1974. Walt Minnick's 2008 win in the First Congressional District was the state's first Democratic Congressional victory in 16 years.

In modern times, Idaho has been a reliably Republican state in presidential politics as well. It has not supported a Democrat for president since 1964. Even in that election, Lyndon Johnson defeated Barry Goldwater by less than two percentage points. In 2004, Republican George W. Bush carried Idaho by a margin of 38 percentage points and with 68.4% of the vote, winning in 43 of 44 counties. Only Blaine County, which contains the Sun Valley ski resort, supported John Kerry, who owns a home in the area. In 2008 Barack Obama's 36.1 percent[32] showing was the best for a Democratic presidential candidate in Idaho since 1976. However, Republican margins were narrower in 1992 and 1996.

In the 2006 elections, Republicans, led by gubernatorial candidate C. L. "Butch" Otter, won all the state's constitutional offices and retained both of the state's seats in the United States House of Representatives. However, Democrats picked up several seats in the Idaho Legislature, notably in the Boise area.[33]

Republicans lost one of the House seats in 2008 to Minnick, but Republican Jim Risch retained Larry Craig's Senate seat for the GOP by a comfortable margin.[34]

Education

Colleges and universities

Idaho State University in Pocatello.

University of Idaho in Moscow.

Boise State University in Boise.

The Idaho State Board of Education oversees three comprehensive universities. The University of Idaho in Moscow was the first university in the state (founded in 1889). A land-grant institution, the UI is the state's flagship university. Idaho State University in Pocatello opened in 1901 as the Academy of Idaho and was granted university status in 1963. Boise State University is the most recent school to attain university status in Idaho, and is primarily geared toward being a commuter school for part-time undergraduate students. The school opened in 1932 as Boise Junior College and became Boise State University in 1974. Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston is the only public, non-university 4 year college in Idaho.

Contents

Idaho[1]
is one of the Rocky
Mountains states of the United States of America.
Idaho is a rugged state, with 10,000 - 12,500 ft (3000 - 3800m)
snow-capped mountains, whitewater rivers (one running through the
deepest river canyon in the U.S.), forests, high desert, and plenty
of wilderness. Most of the land north of Boise is National or State
Forest.

Regions

North Idaho is sometimes considered part of the Pacific
Northwest. It's where the rolling grain-covered hills of the
Palouse give way to the Bitterroot (Rocky) Mountains. South Idaho
is usually considered part of the Intermountain West, and is in the
Mountain timezone.

Frank Church River of No Return
Wilderness -- follows the Snake River through Hells Canyon (as
deep as 9,300 feet, much deeper than the Grand Canyon) north towards Lewiston,
where the Clearwater and Snake River meet

Yellowstone National Park --
Second only to Yosemite as the most majestic
National Park in the lower 48 states, but weirder, more colorful,
and more spectacular, filled with hot springs, geysers, and
fumaroles. Mostly within Wyoming, but the most notable feature,
Old Faithful is probably most easily reached from
Idaho Falls via West Yellowstone, Montana - though the park road is only open in
summer (May to early November).

The Nez Perce Indian Reservation, home to Native Americans
whose forebears helped Lewis and Clark through the winter during
their expedition, is just East of Lewiston.

City of Rocks National
Reserve -- Located on the southern edge of the state. Popular
with hikers and rock climbers for its maze of massive boulders
(some over 100 meters in height).

Lewis and Clark
National Historic Trail - Between May 1804 and September 1806,
32 men, one woman, and a baby traveled from the plains of the
Midwest to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. They called themselves
the Corps of Discovery.

Sawtooth National Recreation Area Largest national recreation
area in the United States

Understand

Idaho's nickname is "The Gem State," although the motto on the
state's license plates reads "Famous Potatoes." This often has the
unfortunate result that anyone who has heard of Idaho imagines the
state as a vast expanse of potato farms, with grizzled inhabitants
living in cabins with no running water. In reality, the cabins
mostly have running water. Some even have indoor plumbing.

Idaho is increasingly becoming a mix of both city and rural
life. Some Idahoans do live in cabins in the middle of nowhere, but
others live in urbane condominiums in downtown Boise. Indeed, Boise
is now the largest metropolitan area in the Rocky
Mountains region of the US outside of Colorado. Most of the other major cities in
Idaho have also experienced significant growth over the past 20
years.

In part because of this growth, some longtime Idahoans are
openly disdainful of newcomers in general, and ex-Californians in
particular. However, this rarely translates into an expression of
ill will towards visitors.

Idaho is typical of several other western states, e.g., Oregon,
Washington, and California, in that there are really two states in
one. The northern part of Idaho is characterized by mountains,
lakes, forests and rivers. While the southern half has some
spectacular mountains (the Owyhees and parts of the Tetons), it is
mostly high-plains desert similar to the Inland Empire of southern
California.

Most of the world-famous Idaho potatoes are grown in Eastern
Idaho. Onions are an important cash crop in southwestern Idaho near
the Oregon border, while sugar beets are prevalent in the Twin
Falls area. As many crops are irrigated in the otherwise arid Snake
River Plain, water is an extremely important and potentially
explosive political issue in Idaho.

Northern Idaho farming is characterized by dry land wheat,
barley, and legume crops. Logging is also a big part of the
northern Idaho economy, although not as much as in the past due to
environmental activism. A favorite bumper sticker in north Idaho is
"If You Don't Like Logging, Try Using Plastic Bags For Toilet
Paper." Similar to Washington and Oregon, there is a great
disparity in the population of each half of the state. North Idaho
is significantly less populated than the southern half.

Idaho is second only to Utah in the number of members of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, or
Mormons, as a percentage of the population. Mormon
religion and culture are particularly prevalent in Eastern Idaho,
where the faith is at least as strong as anywhere in Utah. However,
the LDS Church's influence diminishes considerably as one travels
north of Boise towards the panhandle.

Southern Idaho is home to one of the largest populations of
Basque people in the world outside the Basque Country
itself. Public displays of Ikurriña flags and car stickers
are somewhat common, even in rural areas. The state even issues a
Basque specialty automobile license plate. Next scheduled for 2010,
a major Basque festival known as Jaialdi is
celebrated in Boise every five years.

A common misconception is that Idaho is somehow a racist or
Neo-Nazi state. Around 1980, a Neo-Nazi and white separatist
brought a band of followers to Hayden Lake near Coeur d'Alene and
began regularly making the local and national news with his racist
provocations. Although the local residents vigorously disapproved
and regularly held much bigger counter-demonstrations, the Neo-Nazi
image has stuck. Idahoans breathed a collective sigh of relief in
2001 when the 20 acre compound owned by the "church" was handed
over to a woman who had filed a lawsuit against them after being
assaulted by their guards, and many of the racists left the
state.

Southeastern Idaho, with its sparse topsoil, was greatly
affected by the rising water level of prehistoric Lake Bonneville
to the south, a lake which covered most of what is now the states
of Utah and Nevada. At a point roughly near Twin Falls, the rising
waters broke through into the region in an ancient, massive flood,
channeling the floodwater westward for what is estimated to have
lasted for approximately seven weeks, almost completely draining
the ancient lake and creating the massive, lengthy, and spectacular
Snake River Canyon that we know today. The massive flood stripped
the region's topsoil down to bedrock, tumbling huge, multi-story
high boulders downstream, where eventually the boulders and other
heavier materials dropped out and were deposited in and along the
Snake River streambed. The stripped topsoil, a much lighter
material, eventually was deposited well to the west, creating
fertile farming regions well adapted to growing potatoes. Because
of the great flood and the stripping of the region's topsoil, much
of the agriculture in southeastern Idaho's thin layer of topsoil
must be supported by fertilization as well as irrigation.

Talk

English is almost universally spoken and understood, except that
potatoes are sometimes called "spuds" and there's a bit of a rural
twang as you get out to the logging and farming areas. Spanish is
spoken by a significant Hispanic minority, but it's not as widely
spoken as a second language as it is in the Southwest, so don't
expect to be able to get by speaking Spanish without considerable
difficulty.

Idaho public lands

By plane

There are currently no direct international flights into or out
of anywhere in Idaho. If you're coming in from overseas, rest
assured you'll go through United States customs before boarding a
flight to an Idaho location.

By far the largest airport in the state, Boise
Airport (IATA: BOI) (ICAO: KBOI) is the main
airport in southern Idaho. Flights to and from Boise are available
from most major cities in the western United States, as well as Minneapolis and Chicago. Boise Airport also
offers a good selection of charter flight services.

Northern Idaho is primarily served by Spokane
International Airport (IATA:
GEG) (ICAO: KGEG), located in
eastern Washington approximately 20 miles
(32 km) from the Idaho border. The non-stop schedule to and from
Spokane is similar to Boise. Despite the airport's name, there are
currently no scheduled direct international flights to Spokane.

Smaller airports, such as in Lewiston (LWS), Twin Falls (TWF)
and Pocatello (PIH) offer only a limited commercial flight
schedule. In the case of the latter two, the only commercial
flights available are to and from Salt Lake City.

Airlines serving Boise include Delta,
Frontier, Horizon,
Southwest, United and US
Airways. Spokane is served by the same carriers, as well
as by Alaska Airlines.

By car

You could also drive to North Idaho from Seattle or more easily from Spokane.

By train

The lone city in Idaho with rail passenger service is in the
panhandle at Sandpoint. Amtrak's "Empire Builder" stops in Sandpoint in
the middle of the night (just before midnight westbound, about 230
AM eastbound) on its daily runs between Chicago, Milwaukee, St.
Paul/Minneapolis, Glacier National Park, Spokane, and
Portland/Seattle.

Get around

Apart from modest public transportation systems in the major
cities, Idaho has no mass transit to speak of. The only Amtrak stop
in the state is in Sandpoint in the far northern panhandle.
Otherwise it's all driving or flying.

By car

Idaho is served by several Interstate highways. I-90 in North
Idaho passes through Coeur d'Alene. I-84 enters Idaho at the
Oregon border, serves the Boise metro area and passes near Twin Falls en route to Salt Lake City.
I-15 serves the Eastern Idaho cities of Pocatello and Idaho Falls. The short I-86 in South
Central and Eastern Idaho connects I-84 and I-15.

Most other main roads in the state are two-lane highways. In
more remote locations unpaved roads are commonplace. Pay close
attention to current road conditions while traveling, particularly
in winter. You know you're from Idaho when your elderly
grandparents think it's normal to arrive at Christmas (or even just
for a weekend visit) after driving 400 miles through blizzards and
along winding two lane river roads.

Crossing into Montana
often involves going through mountain passes. This is particularly
true when not on I-90 or I-15. In the winter, check with the
highway department for pass conditions -- many passes are closed
from the first snow until mid-April.

The two-lane US 95 and Idaho State Highway 55 serve as the only
intrastate connections between North Idaho and the rest of the state. Even
in ideal weather conditions, traveling by car from North Idaho to
Eastern Idaho invariably involves a drive through Boise or through
Missoula, Montana. Either
way, you'll drive 600 - 700 miles when it's something like 300
miles as the crow flies.

By plane

Flying is an expensive but wonderful way to get around and see
the majestic scenery. Although many of the state's smaller airports
have no commercial flights at all, while others (such as Twin
Falls) don't have regular flights to other parts of the state,
backcountry flights are available from many locations, and you get
to fly through canyons and into remote airstrips that are nearly
unreachable any other way. Examples are McCall Aviation and Selway Aviation in
Central Idaho. If you just want to go city-to-city, call Horizon
Airlines.

See

Northern Idaho

There are many bald eagles in northern Idaho. A good place to
see them is Lake Coeur d' Alene. Take I-90 East
and exit at the Harrison exit. Lake Coeur d'Alene is 25 miles long
with more than 135 miles of shoreline. The lake is an average of
120 feet deep.

Coeur d'Alene (pop. 38,388 in 2004 census) has become known as
the playground of the Pacific Northwest for luxury accommodations
and a wealth of recreation and attractions in a stunning natural
setting. The lavish Coeur d'Alene Resort draws thousands annually
to be prepared by its Mobile four-star accommodations and to play
its posh golf course.

Finished in 1853, The Cataldo Mission, located
east of Coeur d'Alene on I-90 is the oldest standing building in
Idaho. The Old Mission (built 1848-1853) was a combined effort of
the missionaries and over 300 native Catholics.

Silver Mountain Ski and Summer Resort, located
30 miles east of Coeur d'Alene, is home to the world's longest
single-stage gondola. Enjoy a scenic ride and take in the great
views along the 20-minute ride to the top.

Wallace, on I-90, is known for the fact
that every downtown building is on the National Register of
Historic Places. Wallace is also famous for its mining history and
included in that history is the Oasis Bordello
Museum. When the final occupants of the Oasis Rooms left
in January 1988 (the last recorded date in the "hotel" registry),
they seemed to have left in a hurry. Clothing, makeup, toiletries,
food and personal items were all left behind. An accurate and
tastefully-presented twenty-minute tour of the upper rooms explains
the mystery of the ladies' hasty departure and gives a glimpse into
the town's bawdy past with details that range from poignant to
hilarious. Also of interest in the Wallace area is the
Sierra Silver Mine Tour. This is the only tour of
its kind in the Northwest. It offers a rare opportunity to
personally experience the underground world of mining in the
richest silver district on earth. Also the main city in which the
movie "Dante's Peak", starring Pierce Brosnan, was filmed. Wallace
is also nicked named "The Center of the Universe" When entering the
town walking or driving there will be a sign pointing down towards
a cross walk which is where the center of the universe is supposed
to be.

Not far from Wallace, Kellogg has metal
sculptures of a dragon and knight, a gold panner, an elk
(in front of the local chapter of the ELKS), a big wildcat (which
is the high school's mascot) in front of the local pool, a miner
and donkey, and the best was the Red Baron. All seemed to be made
of scraps of metal from different things, but they are large! Mine
tours (approx. 30 min.) are given at Crystal Gold
Mine. Kellogg was the site of one of the worst U.S. mining
accidents; a statue of a miner holding high a rock drill guards
dozens of impromptu headstones at the Sunshine Mine
Disaster Memorial. Miner's Hat Realty, a building shaped
like a big miner's hard hat, complete with giant carbide lamp can
be seen from I-90 on the north side of the road.

Central Idaho

A giant dog created in Cottonwood, Dog Bark
Park is one of America's latest additions to the type of
roadside architecture popular in the early days of automobile
vacation travel when travelers would often buy gas, eat meals or
stay overnight in a building that looked like something else. Dog
Bark Park Inn offers an expansive continental self-serve breakfast
featuring their family's secret recipe for The Prairie's Best
Fruited Granola.

Southern Idaho

Craters of the Moon
National Monument, 18 mi W of Arco on Hwy 20, is an amazing
part of the natural landscape. The visitors center and the
opportunity to climb a cinder cone make this a worthwhile stop on
an otherwise uneventful road. Be sure to bring water, especially in
spring and summer. With a couple flashlights, you can explore the
lava caves.

Buy

As in the rest of the United States, credit cards are widely
accepted. You'll have little to no difficulty with Visa or
MasterCard. American Express and Discover are also accepted but not
quite as universally, especially in smaller towns. You may very
well have problems if you present a JCB card for payment as most
Idahoans have neither seen nor heard of them.

Personal checks are usually only accepted if local to the
immediate area, and even that is slowly but surely becoming a thing
of the past. Travelers checks are likely to warrant confused looks
if presented outside of tourist areas.

If paying in cash, US dollars are the way to go, although
Canadian dollars may be accepted by some merchants in the extreme
north near the border. Occasionally Canadian coins become
intermingled with US change and may be accepted at face value, or
even given as change back to you. This can and does occur even in
southern Idaho. Even so, don't be put off if they're refused. Paper
currency, however, is all US dollars; if you're south of Sandpoint,
don't even try anything else.

Sales tax in Idaho is currently 6 percent, which is assessed on
most goods including food. The tax is collected at the time of
sale, regardless of whether you're from Idaho or not. Some
municipalities (mainly in tourist areas), as well as Nez Perce
County in north central Idaho also assess a local sales tax in
addition to the state tax. There are also taxes included in lodging
costs at hotels, motels and campgrounds. Some services are not
subject to sales tax.

Native American tribes in Idaho are currently exempt from
charging sales taxes on tobacco products. The Nez Perce Tribe
charges an alternative tobacco tax to fund scholarships on the
tribe's reservation near Lewiston, while the Shoshone Bannock
Tribes on the Fort Hall Reservation near Pocatello don't charge
tobacco sales taxes at all.

Tipping your server or bartender is considered good etiquette at
sit-down restaurants and bars, but is generally not expected
elsewhere. Even so many Idahoans consider tipping optional -
especially in rural areas - so good tips tend to be appreciated by
waitstaff much more so than in other places.

Idaho souvenirs almost always follow one of two themes: outdoor
topics such as hunting, camping, fishing and skiing, or potatoes.
The latter can be particularly kitschy, with characters such as
"Darth Tater" and "Spudbob Starchpants" available for purchase at
just about any convenience store or truck stop.

Do

Winter activities such as, skiing, snowshoeing,
snowboarding, snowmobiling, and even camping are popular, both with
tourists and residents.

Summer activities In the summer, Idaho has
world-class boating (try a jet boat leaving from
Lewiston), whitewater rafting, camping,
hunting, fishing, mountain biking, and hiking.
Rodeo is also popular in the more rural areas.

A bicycle trail, the Trail of The Couer
d'Alenes, runs in northern Idaho from the west all the way to
Montana. Other trails that are popular include: the Route of the
Hiawatha trail, tha Latah Trail, and the Bill Chipman Palouse
Trail. These trails range anywhere from 7 miles to 72 miles long.
The rails-to-trails project is responsible for transforming
abandoned train routes to hiking, biking, and walking trails. One
of the longest trails in the nation is being worked on in Northern
Idaho.

Gateway to Recreation

Idaho has more whitewater rafting than any other state
excluding Alaska.

Top-destination ski resorts

Saint Anthony Sand Dunes, Brunaeu Sand Dunes

Pristine Wilderness areas including one of the largest
continuous wilderness areas in the lower 48 states: The
Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.

Idaho's Salmon River of No Return originates
just south of Stanley. Idaho's Salmon River, the
longest free-flowing river in the United States floats through the
largest wilderness in the Lower 48. This trip is usually six days
long and includes historic ranches and homesteads, fishing, hot springs, and class
III - IV rapids. A limited number of private boaters and rafting
companies explore 85 mile wilderness section of the Salmon
River.

Eat

The food is pretty much middle American. There are a few
ingredients that are Idaho specialties, like Idaho Rainbow
Trout, and of course the Famous Potatoes. Moscow proclaims itself
the "Dried Pea and Lentil Capitol of the World," so I guess those
are Idahoan too. In the college towns (Moscow, Boise, Pocatello, Idaho Falls), it's pretty easy to find
organic and vegetarian food, but in the rural areas you might have
a hard time finding a meal without beef.

In much of Idaho, particularly the southern portions, a popular
condiment is "fry sauce", a combination of ketchup and mayonnaise.
Fry sauce is primarily a Utah condiment but it is also popular in
nearby areas, especially those with significant Mormon
populations.

Drink

Idaho liquor laws aren't as stringent as in neighboring Utah, but they are more restrictive
than places like Nevada. As in
the rest of the United States, 21 is the drinking age; expect to
get carded if you look like you're under 30.

Specific rules governing bars vary slightly from county to
county, but generally speaking bars close at 2 AM in the larger
cities and 1 AM just about everywhere else. Last call means last
call in Idaho; bar owners risk hefty fines or worse if they're
caught serving even one minute past closing time.

Full-strength beer and wine are readily available in
supermarkets and convenience stores (although if you're not a fan
of mass-produced American-style lagers, the selection can often
leave something to be desired). Hard liquor must be purchased at a
state store. Freestanding state liquor stores are common in the
larger cities, although private markets may double as the local
state store in small towns. Stores stop selling beer and wine at
the same time the bars close in that particular county.

The college towns have a good selection of bars, including the
occasional microbrewery. You'll have to look hard to find any sort
of interesting music scene in any but the largest cities, where
there is a wide variety of types of bars from which to choose. In
the more rural areas, you'll be stuck drinking at a country western
bar or...well, that's about it. You might come across a place that
will play classic rock, but even those are hard to find, unless you
know where to look. Ask a local, because podunk and nice are
usually synonyms out there.

On the plus side, almost every bar but the very swankiest has
drink specials at least 3 nights a week. $1.50 wells, $2 pints,
doubles for single prices...

Stay safe

The weather in Idaho can be fickle and extreme compared to other
parts of the world. Mountains make their own weather, and it can be
sunny one moment and stormy the next. If you are taking part in
some outdoor activity, be prepared. Most importantly, use your
common sense.

Respect

Generally speaking societal norms in Idaho are similar to other
areas in the United States. However, Idahoans do tend to be
slightly more familiar than others in the country. Especially in
rural areas, complete strangers will wave to you as you drive by.
Don't be afraid to wave back.

Idahoans are extremely sensitive to any allegation that the
state is somehow a neo-Nazi enclave, and will be very quick to
inform you otherwise if the subject comes up. This is particularly
true in the Coeur d'Alene area, which experienced a very small but
highly publicized group of neo-Nazis firsthand.

While Idahoans are genuinely proud of their potato-growing
heritage, a litany of "spud" jokes and references tends to wear
thin quickly.

Conflict between Mormons and non-Mormons is nothing new in Idaho
and remains sensitive here, perhaps even more so than in Utah.
While anything resembling open hostility on either side is
exceptionally rare, the subject can make some people visibly
uncomfortable.

Contact

Idaho is one of the few remaining US states with only one
telephone area code statewide: 208. Although there has been talk of
an area code split or overlay due to the state's continued growth,
nothing is currently planned along those lines. Most localities
support emergency 911 services.

Cell phone service is reliable in all of the major cities as
well as most other parts of the state. The only places you're
likely to encounter trouble are deep in the mountains. That said,
large no service zones do exist; the further you travel into the
back country, the less likely you'll be able to call someone if you
get in trouble. In rural areas some carriers may have a noticeably
better presence than others.

All Idaho ZIP postal codes begin with "83-". Only the larger
cities use more than one ZIP code.

Public WiFi access is available at most larger hotels, as well
as throughout the city of Ketchum in Blaine County.

Washington - Across Idaho's
northwestern border the state of Washington offers a less-traveled
landscape that varies from mountainous to desert-like
conditions.

Oregon -
The state's southwestern neighbor is known for lush forests and
craggy mountains, but the portion of the state that immediately
borders Idaho is sparsely-populated and features a near-desert
landscape.

Utah - The
rugged mountains and excellent skiing of Utah are a short drive
across Idaho's southern border.

Wyoming
- Located to Idaho's southeast, Wyoming is home to most of the
landmass of Yellowstone National Park and
provides an excellent opportunity to experience America's cowboy
heritage.

Montana
- Some of America's most rugged and remote country is shared along
Idaho's eastern border with Montana.

British Columbia - Crossing
the state's tiny northern border into Canada leads into the
mountainous terrain of southeastern British Columbia.

This is a usable article. It gives a good
overview of the region, its sights, and how to get in, as well as
links to the main destinations, whose articles are similarly well
developed. An adventurous person could use this article, but please
plunge forward and help it grow!

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents

English

Map of US highlighting Idaho

Etymology

When a name was being selected for new territory, eccentric
lobbyist George M. Willing suggested "Idaho," which he claimed was
a Native American term meaning "gem of the mountains". It was later
revealed Willing had made up the name himself.

According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2004, Idaho had an estimated population of 1,393,262. The state's postal abbreviation is ID. Idaho is nicknamed the Gem State because of its abundance of natural resources. The state motto is Esto Perpetua (Latin for "Let it be perpetual").

Climate

Idaho has much variation in its climate. Although the state's western border is located 300 miles (480 km) from the Pacific Ocean, the maritime influence is still felt in Idaho, especially in the winter when cloud cover, humidity, and precipitation are at their highest points. This influence has a moderating effect in the winter where temperatures are not as low as would otherwise be expected for a northern state with a mostly elevated altitude. The maritime influence is lowest in the southeastern part of the state where the precipitation patterns are often reversed, with wetter summers and drier winters, and seasonal temperature differences more extreme, showing a more continental climate.

Summers in Idaho can be hot, although extended periods over 100 °F for the maximum temperature are rare. Hot summer days are tempered by the low relative humidity and cooler evenings during summer months since, for most of the state, the highest diurnal difference in temperature is often in the summer. Winters can be cold, although extended periods of bitter cold weather below zero are unusual.

Adjacent States and Provinces

History

Humans may have been present in the Idaho area as long as 14,500 years ago. Excavations at Wilson Butte Cave near Twin Falls in 1959 revealed evidence of human activity, including arrowheads, that rank among the oldest dated artifacts in North America. Native American tribes predominant in the area included the Nez Perce in the north and the Northern and Western Shoshone in the south.

Idaho, as part of the Oregon Country, was claimed by both the United States and United Kingdom until the United States gained undisputed jurisdiction in 1846. Between then and the creation of the Idaho Territory in 1863, parts of the present-day state were included in the Oregon, Washington, and Dakota Territories. The new territory included most of present-day Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. The first organized communities, within the present borders of Idaho, were established in 1860.[3][4]

After some tribulation as a territory, including the chaotic transfer of the territorial capital from Lewiston to Boise, disenfranchisement of the large Mormon minority and a federal attempt to split the territory between Washington Territory and the state of Nevada, Idaho achieved statehood in 1890. The economy of the state, which had been primarily supported by metal mining, shifted towards agriculture and tourism.

In recent years, Idaho has expanded its commercial base as a tourism and agricultural state to include science and technology industries. Science and technology have become the largest single economic center (over 25% of the state's total revenue) within the state and are greater than agriculture, forestry and mining combined.[2]

Origin of name

Idaho is the only state that was likely named as the result of a hoax (the so called "Idahoax"). In the early 1860s, when the United States Congress was considering organizing a new territory in the Rocky Mountains, eccentric lobbyist George M. Willing suggested the name "Idaho," which he claimed was derived from a Shoshone language term meaning "the sun comes from the mountains" or "gem of the mountains." Willing later claimed that he had made up the name himself[5][6]. Congress ultimately decided to name the area Colorado Territory when it was created in February 1861.

However, the name "Idaho" did not go away. The same year Congress created Colorado Territory, a county called Idaho County was created in eastern Washington Territory. The county was named after a steamship named Idaho, which was launched on the Columbia River in 1860. It is unclear whether the steamship was named before or after Willing's claim was revealed. Regardless, a portion of Washington Territory, including Idaho County, was used to create Idaho Territory in 1863.

Despite this lack of evidence for the origin of the name, many textbooks well into the 20th century repeated as fact Willing's account that the name "Idaho" derived from the Shoshone term "ee-da-how".

An excerpt from an Idaho History Textbook:

"Idaho" is a Shoshoni Indian exclamation. The word consists of three parts. The first is "Ee", which in English conveys the idea of "coming down". The second is "dah" which is the Shoshoni stem or root for both "sun" and "mountain". The third syllable, "how", denotes the exclamation and stands for just the same thing in Indian that the exclamation mark (!) does in the English language. The Shoshoni word is "Ee-dah-how", and the Indian thought thus conveyed when translated into English means, "Behold! the sun coming down the mountain".

Demographics

As of 2005, Idaho has an estimated population of 1,429,096, which is an increase of 33,956, or 2.4%, from the prior year and an increase of 135,140, or 10.4%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 58,884 people (that is 111,131 births minus 52,247 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 75,795 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 14,522 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 61,273 people.

This makes Idaho the sixth fastest-growing state after Arizona, Nevada, Florida, Georgia, and Utah. From 2004 to 2005, Idaho grew the third-fastest, surpassed only by Nevada and Arizona.

Nampa, the state's second largest city, has experienced particularly strong growth in recent years. According to census estimates Nampa has grown 22.1% to nearly 65,000 residents between 2000 and 2003. As of 2007, the population in Nampa was estimated at 84,000. Growth of 5% or more over the same period has also been observed in Caldwell, Coeur d'Alene, Meridian, Post Falls and Twin Falls[7].

As with many other Western states, the percentage of Idaho's population identifying themselves as "non-religious" is higher than the national average.

Economy

Gross state product for 2004 was US$43.6 billion. The per capita income for 2004 was US$26,881. Idaho is an important agricultural state, producing nearly one third of the potatoes grown in the United States.

American Falls Dam, American Falls, Idaho.

Important industries in Idaho are food processing, lumber and wood products, machinery, chemical products, paper products, electronics manufacturing, silver and other mining, and tourism. The world's largest factory for barrel cheese, the raw product for processed cheese is located in Gooding. It has a capacity of 120,000 metric tons per year of barrel cheese and belongs to the Glanbia group.[4] The Idaho National Laboratory (INL), a government lab for nuclear energy research, is also an important part of the eastern Idaho economy. Idaho also is home to three facilities of Anheuser-Busch which provide a large part of the malt for breweries located across the nation.

Today, the largest industry in Idaho is the science and technology sector. It amounts for over 25% of the State's total revenue and 70%+ of the State's exports (in dollars). Idaho's industrial economy is growing, with high-tech products leading the way. Since the late 1970s, Boise has emerged as a center for semiconductor manufacturing. Boise is the home of Micron Technology Inc., the only U.S. manufacturer of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips. Hewlett-Packard has operated a large plant in Boise, in southwestern Idaho, since the 1970s, which is devoted primarily to Laserjet printers production.[12]. Dell operates a major customer support call center in Twin Falls. AMI Semiconductor, whose worldwide headquarter locates in Pocatello, is a widely recognized innovator in state-of-the-art integrated mixed-signal semiconductor products, mixed-signal foundry services and structured digital products.

The state personal income tax ranges from 1.6% to 7.8% in eight income brackets. Idahoans may apply for state tax credits for taxes paid to other states, as well as for donations to Idaho state educational entities and some nonprofit youth and rehabilitation facilities.

The state sales tax is 6%. Sales tax applies to the sale, rental or lease of tangible personal property and some services. Food is taxed, but prescription drugs are not. Hotel, motel, and campground accommodations are taxed at a higher rate (7% to 11%). Some jurisdictions impose local option sales tax.

Law and government

Boise, Idaho, state capitol

State government

The constitution of Idaho provides for 3 branches of government: the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Idaho has a bicameral legislature, elected from 35 legislative districts, each represented by one senator and two representatives. Idaho still operates under its original (1889) state constitution.

Since 1946 statewide elected constitutional officers have been elected to four-year terms. They include: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Controller (Auditor before 1994), Treasurer, Attorney General, and Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Last contested in 1966, Inspector of Mines was an original elected constitutional office. Afterwards it was an appointed position and ultimately done away with entirely in 1974.

Executive Branch

The governor of Idaho serves a four-year term, and is elected during what is nationally referred to as midterm elections. As such, the governor is not elected in the same election year as the president of the United States. The current governor is RepublicanC. L. "Butch" Otter, who was elected in 2006.

Legislative Branch

Idaho's legislature is part-time. However, the session may be extended if necessary, and often is. Because of this, Idaho's legislators are considered "citizen legislators", meaning that their position as a legislator is not their main occupation.

The Idaho Legislature has been continuously controlled by the Republican Party since the late 1950s, although Democratic legislators are routinely elected from Boise, Pocatello, Blaine County and the northern Panhandle.

After the Civil War, many Southern Democrats moved to Idaho Territory. As a result, the early territorial legislatures were solidly Democratic. In contrast, most of the territorial governors were appointed by Republican Presidents and were Republicans themselves. This led to sometimes bitter clashes between the two parties. In the 1880s, Republicans became more prominent in local politics.

Since statehood, the Republican Party has usually been the dominant party in Idaho, as there was a polar shift in social and political stance between the two parties, when the Democrats became more liberal and the Republicans more conservative. In the 1890s and early 1900s, the Populist Party enjoyed prominence while the Democratic Party maintained a brief dominance in the 1930s during the Great Depression. Since World War II, most statewide elected officials have been Republicans.

Idaho Congressional delegations have also been generally Republican since statehood. Several Idaho Democrats have had electoral success in the House over the years, but the Senate delegation has been a Republican stronghold for decades. Several Idaho Republicans, including current Senators Larry Craig and Mike Crapo, have won reelection to the Senate, but only Frank Church has won reelection as a Democrat. Church was the last Idaho Democrat to win a U.S. Senate race in 1974. No Democrat has won a U.S. House race in Idaho since Larry LaRocco in 1992.

In modern times, Idaho has been a reliably Republican state in presidential politics as well. It has not supported a Democrat for president since 1964. Even in that election, Lyndon Johnson defeated Barry Goldwater by less than two percentage points. In 2004, George W. Bush carried Idaho by a margin of 38 percentage points and 68.4% of the vote, winning in 43 of 44 counties. Only Blaine County, which contains the Sun Valley ski resort, supported John Kerry, who owns a home in the area.

In the 2006 elections, Republicans led by Governor-elect C. L. "Butch" Otter won all of the state's constitutional offices and retained both of the state's seats in the United States House of Representatives. However, Democrats picked up several seats in the Idaho Legislature, notably in the Boise area. [13]

This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Idaho. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.

Idaho became a state in 1890. Its current Governor is Butch Otter. It is the 11th largest state in land area. The population of Idaho is estimated at 1,523,816 by the United States Census Bureau in 2008.

Idaho is bordered by Washington on the west, Montana on the east, Utah and Nevada on the south and the country of Canada on the north side. The climate in Idaho can sometimes be hot, reaching up to 100 °F. Humidity is normally low with cooler evenings in summer months. In winter, temperatures normally drop to lower twenty's, upper teens. Very rarely, the temperature drops to several degrees below zero.

Idaho's state motto is Esto perpetua. This is Latin for "Let it be forever".